On 10 May 2005 16:36:23 GMT, Rocky wrote:

Don S said in rec.pets.dogs.misc:

I have a healthy fear of wild animals that are in urban
environments. They have overcome their natural tendencies
to avoid people.

In many cases, coyotes have been taught to overcome such natural
tendencies. Some uninformed people think that it's cool to feed
them, though that seems to be a fairly recent innovation.

I would not trust my waving arms to fend
a coyote from attack.

Six or seven years ago, waving arms worked just fine, now it
doesn't.

I always walk my dog on a leash. Fortunately, we don't
have coyote problems here in Dallas. If I feared for my
(or my pet's) safety after dark, my first preference would
be for my local government to have adequate protective
response.

Which was the main point of my response to you. What would you
have your local government do?

Provide animal control staff with a reasonable response time to remove
and relocate the coyotes. After all, they were there first.


Absent that, I would carry a gun.

Hmm. One of my dogs could be mistaken for a coyote when
glimpsed.

You let them run free? I don't recommend taking pot shots at any 4
legged animals - only those aggresively attacking.


It is silly to be afraid to go outside after dusk in the
city. Adequate protection should be provided, or you
provide it yourself.

Of what would this "adequate protection" be comprised?

See above. I know they can't be everywhere at once, but their "go
hide till dawn" is not an acceptable response.


Where are coyotes common in communities of a million
people? Maybe the fringe developments? That's scairy.

Not fringe - inner city.
http://content1.calgary.ca/CCA/City+...ures/Coyote+En
counters.htm?Prn=1

Oops, sorry. I didn't realize you guys were from Canada. I guess my
gun totin' suggeston rang harsh - and not an option.

Good Luck!
Don S

Howdy All,
What the county or city of Los Angeles would do was hire a trapper any
time they needed varment control. A friend of mine was that trapper. On
coyotes he would use his coyote hounds to chase them down. These hounds
were Irish Wolfhounds. I think he had a X -bred hound or 2 also.

Frank X. Morris
http://community.webtv.net/Sulkhalil/SalukiCornerChime

in thread :
(Frank Morris) whittled the following words:

Howdy All,
What the county or city of Los Angeles would do was hire a trapper any
time they needed varment control. A friend of mine was that trapper. On
coyotes he would use his coyote hounds to chase them down. These hounds
were Irish Wolfhounds. I think he had a X -bred hound or 2 also.

Frank X. Morris
http://community.webtv.net/Sulkhalil/SalukiCornerChime



If the city or county would do that. Most trappers charge by the animal
caught, unless other arraingments are made.
We do nuisance coyote trapping. Coyotes are some of the more difficult
species to trap. Especially in an urban environment where capturingh non-
target species is more likely than trapping the coyote, and releasing them
unharmed is a consideration.

Don S said in rec.pets.dogs.misc:

What would you have
your local government do?

Provide animal control staff with a reasonable response
time to remove and relocate the coyotes. After all, they
were there first.

"They were there first" and yet you propose removing them?

Hmm. One of my dogs could be mistaken for a coyote when
glimpsed.

You let them run free?

Off leash, yes.

Obviously, you and I don't see Coyotes in the same light. I see
them as being around, and that my dogs should avoid them.
Coyotes are neither good nor bad, they're part of life. It
would be counterproductive to relocate or cull them.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

Frank Morris said in rec.pets.dogs.misc:

What the county or city of Los Angeles would do was hire a
trapper any time they needed varment control. A friend of
mine was that trapper. On coyotes he would use his coyote
hounds to chase them down. These hounds were Irish
Wolfhounds. I think he had a X -bred hound or 2 also.

Coyote population control though culling does not work; coyote
birth rates increase and decrease seasonally depending upon
population.

Coursing coyotes results is a short-term solution. In the long
run, there will be larger litters of smarter coyotes.

I have no problem with co-habiting with the coyotes I've met in
our parks.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

On 10 May 2005 17:09:01 GMT, Rocky wrote:

Don S said in rec.pets.dogs.misc:

What would you have
your local government do?

Provide animal control staff with a reasonable response
time to remove and relocate the coyotes. After all, they
were there first.

"They were there first" and yet you propose removing them?

Sad, but yes. I sympathize with their plight, but humans won. I only
have problems with the ones that don't display a healthy fear of
people.


Hmm. One of my dogs could be mistaken for a coyote when
glimpsed.

You let them run free?

Off leash, yes.

How neat. Here in Dallas we have leash laws that are strictly
enforced and very few (only one that I know of) fenced "leash free"
dog play areas.


Obviously, you and I don't see Coyotes in the same light. I see
them as being around, and that my dogs should avoid them.
Coyotes are neither good nor bad, they're part of life. It
would be counterproductive to relocate or cull them.

See the original post. I don't recommend doing anything except to
those that fit the original concern. Any animal that tries to tear my
dog away from me while leashed stands a good chance of getting yelled
at, slapped with a leash, kicked, pepper sprayed, or shot (in that
order).

I've only seen coyotes and wolves in the wild & we both minded our own
business - as it should be. Those that stray from the norm (on both
sides) need to be dealt with.

Don S

Don S writes:

Where are coyotes common in communities of a million people? Maybe
the fringe developments? That's scairy.

I wouldn't be at all suprised if you had coyotes throughout the
greater Dallas area. You probably do, and just don't know it.

I live in Portland, OR, about ten minutes from downtown. We saw a
coyote wandering on our street at dusk just a couple nights ago.

My parents live in suburban San Diego, and have coyotes in their
neighborhood.

They are extremely adaptable, and live in most areas of all 50 states
in the U.S.
--
Stafford A. Rau
raudog @ rauhaus.org

"Stafford A. Rau" writes:


They are extremely adaptable, and live in most areas of all 50 states
in the U.S.

Ok, maybe not Hawaii. Yet.

--
Stafford A. Rau
raudog @ rauhaus.org

Don S said in rec.pets.dogs.misc:

Off leash, yes.

How neat. Here in Dallas we have leash laws that are
strictly enforced and very few (only one that I know of)
fenced "leash free" dog play areas.

We have leash laws in my city, too. I abide by them. It's
pretty cool that we have a ton of off leash areas, it makes it
easier for me to abide the laws.

See the original post. I don't recommend doing anything
except to those that fit the original concern. Any animal
that tries to tear my dog away from me while leashed stands
a good chance of getting yelled at, slapped with a leash,
kicked, pepper sprayed, or shot (in that order).

I agree with that concern. As it applies to coyotes (and other
wildlife like skunks and raccoons and porcupines and deer) and
other people's dogs: keep YOUR dog under control, and you won't
have a problem.

I've only seen coyotes and wolves in the wild & we both
minded our own business - as it should be. Those that
stray from the norm (on both sides) need to be dealt with.

Define "norm".

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

In article ,
Rocky wrote:

Don S said in rec.pets.dogs.misc:

I have a healthy fear of wild animals that are in urban
environments. They have overcome their natural tendencies
to avoid people.

In many cases, coyotes have been taught to overcome such natural
tendencies. Some uninformed people think that it's cool to feed
them, though that seems to be a fairly recent innovation.

I would not trust my waving arms to fend
a coyote from attack.

Six or seven years ago, waving arms worked just fine, now it
doesn't.

I always walk my dog on a leash. Fortunately, we don't
have coyote problems here in Dallas. If I feared for my
(or my pet's) safety after dark, my first preference would
be for my local government to have adequate protective
response.

Which was the main point of my response to you. What would you
have your local government do?

Absent that, I would carry a gun.

Hmm. One of my dogs could be mistaken for a coyote when
glimpsed.

It is silly to be afraid to go outside after dusk in the
city. Adequate protection should be provided, or you
provide it yourself.

Of what would this "adequate protection" be comprised?

Where are coyotes common in communities of a million
people? Maybe the fringe developments? That's scairy.

Not fringe - inner city.
http://content1.calgary.ca/CCA/City+...ures/Coyote+En
counters.htm?Prn=1

Here's a recent article from my local newspaper:

Thursday, May 5, 2005

For coyotes, pets are prey
Cunning, bold and hardy, the opportunistic omnivores are common in
Orange County and more aggressive in spring.

By GREG HARDESTY
The Orange County Register

IRVINE * The coyote came silently. The two Chihuahuas didn't have time
to bark.

Susan Scott was hunched over a clump of grass along a curb in her
slumbering Quail Hill neighborhood, cleaning up after Kimber, a 12-pound
female.

An agonizing wail shattered the calm.

Scott turned and saw chocolate- brown Ginny, all of 5 pounds, thrashing
wildly in the jaws of a coyote as it fought to tear the dog off her
6-foot leash.

"No! No!'' Scott screamed, failing to rouse her neighbors during the
5:45 a.m. attack April 22.

Scott and other residents had seen a coyote roaming the streets, but she
never expected to engage in a fierce tug-of-war with one.

The coyote, about the size of a German shepherd, clamped down on 3-
year-old Ginny's stomach, a tooth piercing her abdomen. Scott yanked
hard on the black leash.

Stories like Scott's are heard more frequently this time of year as
coyotes attack dogs and cats - sometimes in broad daylight, experts say.

Like opossums and skunks, coyotes are one of the few species of wild
animals that thrive around humans, said Martin Maytorena, a patrol
captain for the state Department of Fish and Game.

"They are everywhere, and they don't have a lot of fear," said Dr. June
Crook, director of medicine at Animal Urgent Care of South Orange County
in Mission Viejo. "We have invaded their territory, and our pets are
their new small game."

About three to five pets attacked by coyotes are brought into Crook's
hospital each week. Most are dogs, since cats typically don't survive
the attacks.

John Thompson, an administrator at Advanced Critical Care and Internal
Medicine in Tustin, said the hospital is seeing more pets that have been
attacked by coyotes. The facility is one of the largest 24-hour
veterinary referral specialty practices in Orange County.

Dr. Ed Folkers of the Mission Viejo Animal Hospital has been practicing
in south Orange County for more than 30 years. He's heard stories about
coyotes snatching cats off the streets of Ladera Ranch.

"People chase after them with golf clubs," Folkers said.

Coyotes are omnivorous feeders and opportunistic predators, which makes
small dogs and cats especially vulnerable, said Robert M. Timm,
superintendent and extension wildlife specialist at the Hopland center.

According to his research, some people make the mistake of feeding
coyotes - which decreases their natural fear of humans.

"These are unpredictable animals, and some people seem to have a Disney
attitude toward them," Timm said.

Two cats apparently killed by coyotes have been found in recent weeks in
Fountain Valley, and residents in other parts of the county are
reporting more coyote sightings.



Although there are no hard numbers on coyotes attacking pets in Orange
County, there is some evidence of an increase in coyote attacks on
animals. Here are the California numbers:

Complaints received by the U.S. Wildlife Services in 2003, compared to
1991, according to a 2004 study by the University of California Hopland
Research and Extension Center in Hopland:

281- 2003

17- 1991

Documented attacks on humans:

48 1998-2003

41 1988-1997.

Orange County had 15 of the attacks, second only to Los Angeles County.


COYOTE SAFETY TIPS

Coyotes can leap fences up to 6 feet high. Experts recommend the
following steps to keep your pets safe:

€Animal enclosures should include a top.

€Keep cats and small dogs indoors. When walking small dogs, always keep
them on a leash.

€Coyotes are most active dusk to dawn. Avoid walking pets after dark.

€Bring along pepper spray or a stick in case a coyote gets aggressive.
Screaming or yelling and waving arms sometimes won't work on coyotes
that have lost their fear of humans.

€Any pet smaller than 45 pounds should never be left outside past 4 p.m.

€Feed pets indoors.

€Store trash in covered, heavy-duty containers.

€Keep yards free from potential hiding places such as thick brush and
weeds.

€Enclose the bottoms of porches and decks.

€Eliminate potential food and water sources such as fallen fruit and
standing water.

€If you encounter a coyote that behaves aggressively, you have probably
gotten too close to its prey or its family. Try to scare the coyote by
yelling and waving your arms. Throw rocks, sticks or other objects. Do
not turn away and run.

€Do not feed coyotes. Doing so can make them less afraid of humans.

Sources: Dr. June Crook of Animal Urgent Care of South Orange County;
Orange County Animal Care Services; other agencies